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Thought I would make a thread that’s updated from the one from 2007. Read that one, and then mine.

Hotel:

Training is now held at the Hyatt North Houston. It’s light years nicer than the Holiday Inn, but it’s not in the best neighborhood and is a little further from the airport. There are a couple fast food places within a 5 minute walk. There’s also a gas station with a convenience store attached. They lock the doors once it’s dark outside if that tells you anything…
When you check in, they will assign you a roommate. It’s in alphabetical order. That person will be your sim partner throughout training. You’ll be sharing a room with them for 7 weeks unless you go to Hobby or St. Louis for sims. As soon as you check in, make sure to ask for a fridge and microwave. You need to bug them until you get it also, otherwise you might never actually get it.

Dress:

Khaki pants and polo or button up shirt is pretty much the dress code. Blue jeans in good shape are fine too. T-shirts, not so much.

Pay:

You’ll get two non-taxable payments of ~$700 in the middle or end of the month, depending on when you start class. You won’t get paid again till you the next pay day after you pass your PC (proficiency check) near the end of training.

Food:

The restaurant is pretty good actually, expensive but good. Sometimes when they have games on they’ll do some type of special. Make sure you check it out, because eating out of the microwave all the time gets old. Treat yourself every once in a while, stay sane. I got a crock pot from Target and would make all kinds of different dishes with food that my roommate and I would split. I brought a bunch of small containers of spices from home. It’s super easy to use in the room. A lot of guys were eating Easy Mac and Pop Tarts for two months. My food was much healthier and cheaper.

Things to bring:

Flashlight – You’ll need it for your flight kit. You need to have your flight kit complete by your oral.

Jepp binders- Three 2” and one 1” binders will be good. They’re really expensive new from the uniform lady. Search ebay or buy some generic ones. Don’t get 3-ring binders, all the sheets will tear out.

Flight Kit- Bonnie in the uniform room is more than happy to sell you one for $200+. XJT is testing EFBs right now, so I wouldn’t spend a ton of money on one since in a couple months they might not be needed. That’s just me though. Google “Catalog Case” for some cheaper alternatives to an official “flight kit”. If I had to get one, I would look at the Luggage Works flight kit measurements then compare them to the catalog cases online for a similar size.

Uniforms:

For uniforms, I would just get the package deal. It’s expensive I know, but it saves you a lot of headache of trying to piece everything together just to save a couple bucks. If you’re planning on getting a leather jacket, don’t buy the one through the uniform room. It’s goatskin and with a very pebbly looking texture. Pop’s Leather makes one from calfskin with a smooth texture that looks much better IMO. It’s completely custom made and comes with a nice looking name patch and epaulets, not that goofy leather patch with shiny metal wings on a leather jacket that everyone else wears. It’s a little more expensive, but worth it. It’s a personal call.

Misc:

At the training center, make sure you have cash for the food vendors there if you don’t want to bring your own food. Also, use the change machine in the cafeteria to get quarters for the washing machines on the basement of the hotel.

Training:

You’ll do one day of corporate indoc followed by the rest of the week going over the FOM(Flight Ops Manual). You’ll have a test on that Friday. Two weeks of Systems after that and another test on that Friday. Two days of general ops, then FTDs, oral exam, couple more FTDs, then sims. You’ll either do the sims at COEX (Training Center), Houston Hobby Airport Flight Safety, or in St. Louis.
Since the new ATP requirement, everyone is getting an ATP at their end of their training, along with a PIC Type Rating in the EMB-145. You do the normal sim training then a Proficiency Check. The PC used to be the final sim ride before FOs went out to IOE. Since the new law, there’s still a little more you have to do after that. The good thing is that after the PC, you are considered hired and start getting minimum guarantee pay. After that you do QLOFT, which is supposed to be like a line flight. You have a real captain in the left seat. After that you do your Maneuver Validation (MV). This is part of the checkride for your Type and ATP. You have a couple maneuvers that get introduced then the MV starts. You do a couple takeoffs, V1 cuts, approaches, then single engine stuff. Next comes Line-Oriented-Evaluation (LOE). This is your final checkride. You have an 8710 prepared for this and get your type and ATP after. It’s just a couple maneuvers.
After your LOE, you start IOE. IOE is when you start flying the actual aircraft. You’ll get paired up with a check airman and you’ll be doing actual revenue flights. It’s still considered part of training and you have to pass it. For me it consisted of two three day trips, for some it might just be a high time four day instead. It may or not take place in your base. You will be provided positive space to get there if and will be given a hotel room before.

After that you’re a fully qualified First Officer. From the first day of class to the end of IOE was about 2.5 months

There are some bomb *** food trucks next to the Mexican grocery store which is beyond the gas station about a half mile. Also, little Ceasars pizza which of course has the 5 dollar hot and ready. I managed to eat very healthy using that Mexican grocery store. Also bought an electric skillet which let me cook anything you could possibly think of.